Stella Nyanzi, traders arrested as they protest continued closure of arcades

Former Makerere University don Dr Stella Nyanzi is among the people who have been arrested this morning for staging a protest over the continued closure of shopping arcades in Kampala.

Nyanzi had joined city traders to demand for the opening of arcades which were closed in March in a presidential directive to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

The traders under their umbrella association of Kampala Arcades Traders Association (KATA) issued a statement through their chairman, Godfrey Katongole urging the government to allow them to resume operations following Standards Operating Procedures (SOPs)

The traders, also want government, and particularly President Yoweri Museveni to announce to the country on how he Intends to handle the issue of rent before June 13, 2020 or else, they will strike to show their dissatisfaction.

"If we don't hear from government before the said date then we are going to organize a peaceful demonstration on 14th June, 2020 to show our discontentment. We are putting the onus of settling the rent issues squarely on government and in particular the President because he is the one who told us to lock our shops and go home," Katongole said in a letter.

The traders staged their protest at Biraj International Hotel in downtown Kampala near Capital Shoppers.

By the time of compiling this report, police spokesperson Fred Enanga was not available for a comment.

The arrested were still detained at the Kampala Central Police Station by press time.

Additional reporting by Jonah Kirabo 

All photos by Aminah Nabukenya